The Day She Matures

Su Qing fell into deep thought for a short while.

She still didn't understand the significance of the question. Since she couldn't figure it out, she didn't force herself. Instead, she turned her attention to the answer itself.

Su Qing didn't know exactly when the Great Tribulation would arrive, but she could make an educated guess.

She said casually, "About six or seven hundred years?"

Her words made the Old Mother of Mount Li smile and nod. "Your guess... is actually quite close. This Great Tribulation will arrive within a thousand years at the latest!"

Su Qing nodded in confusion, then followed up with another question. "Senior... why did you suddenly bring this up?"

The Old Mother of Mount Li calmly picked up her teacup and took a sip.

"It's nothing... just giving you a heads-up so you're mentally prepared." She had intended to tell the truth, but after a second thought, she decided not to add to the girl's psychological pressure for now. After all, there were still many things Su Qing needed to attend to later!

As Su Qing listened, her lips twitched slightly, and she nodded helplessly.

To be honest, she already had some expectation that the Great Tribulation would arrive within a millennium. However, she couldn't shake the feeling that the Old Mother was hiding something.

"Forget it. If she won't say, asking further will likely be useless," Su Qing thought, shaking her head inwardly.

During the silence, the Old Mother suddenly spoke again. "By the way, I almost forgot. Congratulations on surviving the Lightning Calamity this time. There are still two great calamities ahead of you, so stay prepared."

Su Qing snapped back to reality and nodded. "Don't worry, Senior. I certainly won't forget about the Three Calamities!"

In fact, after this recent lesson, Su Qing had already recorded the matter of the Three Calamities on the cover of her diary. Although she didn't write in it every day, seeing it occasionally would serve as a reminder. She wouldn't truly forget it again.

The Old Mother of Mount Li nodded and placed a chess piece. "However, I'm not just reminding you of that. I mainly want you to be aware that the Three Calamities might arrive early."

"Arrive early?" Su Qing was stunned and asked in confusion.

"Indeed!"

"But why?" Su Qing asked, puzzled. "Do these Three Calamities not follow the rules?"

The Old Mother chuckled. "Since when do natural disasters follow rules? In short, just be mentally prepared for it. Be careful and don't accidentally try to tank them head-on. The next two calamities won't be as easy to pass as the Lightning Calamity. Of course, don't worry about it every single day; an early arrival is only a possibility, not a certainty."

Su Qing remained silent for a moment before nodding slightly. "I understand. I will keep this firmly in mind."

"Good, as long as you remember." The Old Mother nodded with satisfaction, then fiddled with a chess piece. "Oh, right, one more thing. During your evasion of the Three Calamities this time, did you grasp the method to ascend to a Heavenly Immortal?"

Su Qing nodded helplessly. "I am dull-witted and was unable to seize the opportunity."

"Mm... no matter. It's fine if you didn't. You are currently only one step away from becoming a Heavenly Immortal. You still have several centuries left; that should be enough time for you to find a way." The Old Mother wasn't surprised, nor did she think Su Qing was at fault. After all, if becoming a Heavenly Immortal were that easy, wouldn't the world be crawling with them? Besides, Su Qing reaching this level in just a few hundred years was already terrifying enough.

Su Qing nodded slightly, and with a sudden thought, she continued:

"However, while I didn't grasp the way to become a Heavenly Immortal, a Bodhi Seed appeared within my Niwan Palace. I asked the Bodhi Tree, and she said it was hers. But when I asked about its purpose, she was vague, only saying it was for 'Tuoshen.' Senior, can you tell me what this seed is actually for?"

Su Qing had considered this question carefully before finally asking it. After all, something new had appeared in her Niwan Palace, and she was naturally curious. Just the word 'Tuoshen' wasn't enough to satisfy her. She wanted to take this chance to get a definitive answer from the Old Mother.

The Old Mother of Mount Li was slightly taken aback by Su Qing's words. "You don't need to worry too much about that. It's simply the Bodhi Tree entering its next stage! To be honest, I can't explain too much of it myself. All I can say is that when the Bodhi Tree in your Niwan Palace fully matures, the one in your courtyard will wither and die."

"Die? But..."

"Let's put it this way: the Bodhi Tree growing outside only exists for the sake of the one maturing in your Niwan Palace."

The Old Mother thought for a moment before adding:

"Furthermore, she wasn't wrong when she said it's to help you with Tuoshen. As for anything more, I won't tell you. If you can figure it out, that's your own skill. If not, just wait patiently. When it takes effect, everything will become clear."

Su Qing felt a bit dazed...

She felt like she understood, yet she didn't quite get it. It seemed the growth of this Bodhi Tree was vastly different from what she had initially imagined. Wasn't it supposed to eventually grow into a Grotto-Heaven? Could it be that the Grotto-Heaven would form inside her head? No matter how she thought about it, that seemed incredibly strange!

Su Qing rubbed her temples and sighed softly. Just how many secrets did this Bodhi Tree hold? It felt like an endless well.

"Alright, stop obsessing over it. Your master gave you that thing; he couldn't possibly want to harm you. Just focus on nurturing that Bodhi Tree!"

The Old Mother of Mount Li chuckled and shook her head. "Look at you, always overthinking. Look at what's happened to this chess game. It's truly unsightly. Tsk tsk, you're going to lose."

Su Qing came back to her senses and couldn't help but sigh. "I am no match for you, Senior. I admit defeat."

"Haha, if you had focused on the game, you at least wouldn't have lost so miserably. It seems these matters are indeed troubling you!"

"Yes, they are quite a headache," Su Qing nodded helplessly.

"Then let's talk about something less troubling," the Old Mother said, clearly not intending to delve deeper into the Bodhi Tree. "Aside from telling me you survived the Three Calamities, I presume you also came here to find that girl, Bai Suzhen?"

Su Qing didn't deny it; it was the truth.

"Your insight is profound, Senior. I do intend to visit Sister Suzhen. It has been many years since we last met, and I miss her."

The Old Mother of Mount Li smiled. "That girl misses you too! A few days ago, she was making a fuss about wanting to leave Li Shan to go see you!"

"But it seems you didn't let her run off, Senior."

"Naturally, I couldn't let her wander. She still needs to work hard on her cultivation."

The Old Mother shook her head slightly. "However, if you want to see her, go ahead. You haven't seen each other in decades; go have a good chat. Also, leave that sword of yours with my Daoist boy for now."

"Don't worry, she's just a bit mischievous; she won't break your things. Besides, your sword has its own sentience."

The Old Mother did this because of her disciple's request. Since her disciple had asked for help, as a master, she might as well lend a hand.

Hearing this, Su Qing was momentarily stunned, but she didn't refuse outright. Instead, she said, "This... let me go ask Leng Xiang what she thinks."

The Old Mother of Mount Li nodded and said nothing more.

At worst... she would just put the sword spirit in solitary confinement!

For the Daoist boy, enforcing confinement was a simple matter.

"Alright, go find that girl," the Old Mother said, taking a sip of tea. "Sigh, playing chess with you is a bit dull. You're far too distracted."

Su Qing gave an embarrassed smile but didn't argue. Her performance this game had indeed been poor.

"Then I shall take my leave."

"Go on, go on!" The Old Mother waved her hand.

Then, in the blink of an eye, Su Qing found herself back in the side hall.

Su Qing looked at the statue of the Old Mother in the hall, bowed slightly, and then pushed open the door to walk out.

Outside the side hall.

The little Daoist boy was sitting on the steps, eating the snacks Su Qing had given her earlier. Beside her lay a slender and exquisite longsword.

Hearing the door open behind her, the little Daoist boy turned her head, her mouth full as she asked indistinctly, "Finished talking with Master? Mm, she told you to go see 'Big White' next, right?"

It took Su Qing some effort to decipher the muffled speech. She nodded slightly. "Yes!"

"Great! Do you want me to take you there?" The little Daoist boy was clearly eager to earn more snacks, so she volunteered enthusiastically.

Seeing the girl's excitement, Su Qing chuckled helplessly and nodded. "Give me the sword first!"

The little Daoist boy didn't mind and immediately handed the longsword back to Su Qing. Once she had the sword, Su Qing did as she had promised and consulted Leng Xiang.

Leng Xiang seemed a bit surprised to hear Su Qing's words, but knowing it was the Old Mother of Mount Li's wish, she didn't think much of it.

"I understand. I will stay with her for today..." Leng Xiang answered calmly.

"Sorry to put you through this."

Leng Xiang shook her head. "It's fine..."

In truth, Leng Xiang understood the Old Mother's intent. She knew that even if she refused, it wouldn't matter. If she didn't agree, she would likely be placed in confinement by that Daoist boy, just like before. After all, the Daoist boy was clearly on the Old Mother's side, and confining her was incredibly easy for her.

Seeing that Leng Xiang had agreed, Su Qing nodded. She didn't plan to say much more; she already had a general idea of what was going on.

She handed the sword to the little Daoist boy. "I'll have to trouble you then. For the time being, I'll leave Leng Xiang in your care."

The little Daoist boy naturally had no objections and agreed with a beaming smile. The Old Mother had already given her instructions, so she didn't dare use this opportunity to ask Su Qing for more snacks. If the Old Mother found out, she would surely be punished.

"Leave it to me!" The little Daoist boy took the sword. "Then... shall we go?"

Su Qing nodded. "Let's go!"

"Let's go, let's go!" The little Daoist boy led the way, sword in hand, skipping along.

As they walked, she suddenly asked, "By the way... has 'Big Green Snake' ever thought about living alone?"

This out-of-the-blue question made Su Qing pause in confusion. "Living alone? I've never really thought about it... Why do you ask?"

"Nothing... I just suddenly thought of it, so I figured I'd ask." The little Daoist boy spoke with a smile, her hands behind her back as she carried the sword. "Don't mind me too much. I just wanted to know what you'd think if you had to live by yourself."

"I'm used to living with my friends. If I suddenly had to live in solitude, I'd probably be very lonely," Su Qing answered casually after thinking it over.

"I see..." the little Daoist boy said pointedly. "But you aren't alone."

Su Qing rolled her eyes, unsure of exactly what she meant by "you aren't alone."

The two of them chatted about mysterious topics as they quickly entered the bamboo forest. Passing through the trees, they arrived at the familiar bamboo courtyard.

In the yard, a woman in a white dress was sweeping up fallen leaves. Hearing someone approach, she looked up. When she saw her old friend, a brilliant smile lit up her face, and she waved.

"Sister Xiao Qing, you're here!"

Su Qing nodded. "Yes! It's been so long! You're not mad at me, are you?"

"Sister was unable to come because she was evading the Three Calamities; how could I be angry?" Bai Suzhen said with a graceful smile. "Come in and sit, Sister! I'll finish sweeping this bit of ground and join you."

Su Qing looked at Bai Suzhen, feeling that something was slightly off. It was a bit different from what she had expected. She had thought Bai Suzhen would excitedly give her a bear hug, just like in previous years. But this time, she seemed... calm? Or perhaps steady?

Su Qing couldn't quite describe it. It just felt like something was brewing beneath the surface. She rubbed her nose and nodded. "Uh, alright then!"

The little Daoist boy chimed in at the perfect moment. "In that case, I'll be going now~"

With that, she waved at Su Qing with a chuckle and ran off at top speed. She had walked slowly on the way here, but when it was time to leave, she vanished in a flash.

Su Qing's lips twitched. She turned and walked under the eaves, sitting down to watch Bai Suzhen sweep. At the same time, she wondered why Bai Suzhen had suddenly become more 'mature.' Was she faking it? Was it the influence of destiny? Or was this simply the calm before the storm?